The Luba people like their relatives, the Songye make Kifwebe masks. The Luba people are a Bantu ethnic group from the central part of Democratic Republic of the Congo.The ancestors of the Songye tribe, Chimbale and Kongolo are originally Luba people who moved away bcause of some misunderstandings and went out to establish who established the Kingdom of Songye, that is why both people are Bantus and make a mask called Kifwebe. Most Luba masks are circular unlike Singye Kifwebe masks. Kifwebe of Bwadi bra is a secret society of masked men. In order to become a member of the Bwadi bra Kifwebe, all applicants must go through an initiation process. During this process, they must learn and identify a secret esoteric language. They must undergo a radical and violent experience in order to become less fearful of the unknown and learn their roles within the subject to Bwadi bra Kifwebe.

This face mask is one of the undisputed masterworks arguably the most famous example of the round striped mask tradition of Southeastern Congo’s Luba people. The mask’s striated surface decoration has led to its presumed connection with a male initiatory association called Bwadi bwa Kifwebe, shared between the Luba and the neighboring Songye peoples, though with different connotations. The white color of the masks’ stripes is thought to evoke positive connotations of nourishment and procreation, and to relate to the benign spirits of the dead and healing. The masks would have primarily danced in celebrations honoring the appearance of the new moon, a symbol of recognition, hope, and rebirth. This lunar symbolism also pertains to the popular Luba sculptural genre of female bowl-bearing figures used in royal divination.